April Fool’s Day with Deborah Foreman

With April Fool’s day once again upon us, Levi had the opportunity to revisit the much loved holiday themed suspense film of 1986. He discusses the movie with the film’s star Deborah Foreman who memorably portrayed Muffy/Buffy.  

Hi Deborah, thank you very much for taking some time to talk with me today, as we’re getting really close to April Fool’s Day.  Can you talk about being cast as Muffy in April Fool’s day? 

So I originally went in to meet with the director Fred Walton and casting lady. Just to meet me, it wasn’t an audition. Just to meet me.  And then I heard back from my agent after he (Fred) met me that I looked like a photograph of Fred’s grandmother when she was young. I was in 1940s garb, I had 1940s hair style, because I was going to another audition that I was actually gonna be reading for that was for the baseball movie and it was set in the 1940s. So time went by and I never let it go, and I would continue to ask my agent who is going to be cast. He got me back in the door, and basically they were gonna be making a decision on who is going to be getting the part now. And it was like down to the wire, so I went in this time completely in prep, in my attire. I auditioned for them and before I got home, my agent had left a message on my voice machine that I have been given the part.

What attracted you to the character and the story ? 

Well I love suspense. I love thrillers. When I read the script I thought it would be a fun challenge for myself to do. Then when the director Fred Walton had his in auditions- I mean had a dress rehearsal and he said if I don’t make these two characters completely different, this is the film I’m taking to work. So again I would have a gas with it. An even bigger challenge now, and I like that he did that to me. I like that he threw a fire underneath my bottom and maybe where Carter and I did I feel like I did– 

Can you talk about working with Director Fred Walton? 

I think verbiage wise he gave me complete freedom. But when it came to physical activities, props and stuff like that, he was extremely specific.  And I learned that right from the get-go, like the first day of working with him. So when I learned that I thought, well I need to go to him before every take or scene and have a conversation with him. Does he have a specific way he wants me to hold the candle stick? Does he have a specific way does he want me to hold the basket? You know, things like that. But I would never go and ask him how how should I read this line. None of that… It was more organic when I was working with the cast. But when it was more physical stuff, I would definitely have a conversation with him because I wanted him pulled into the loop.

One of the things that stands out about the film is how likable all the characters are and the chemistry between you and your co-stars. Did you all as a cast get together prior to filming to hang out, and get to know each other? 

Well what’s interesting about that is that we were all individually hired. It wasn’t like we had reading together. That really was a gift that the casting director had. Casting director Martha Coolidge had that same gift when casting Valley Girl a few years earlier. Same thing- she’s all about the cast. And then after Fred had hired us, we did have a dinner or lunch where we all got together. But that was the only time that we did. Fred had us rehearsing together but I only remember rehearsing a lot with Amy Steel. Then we just did our scenes. And you know to this day, I’m closest with that cast. It was just a moment in time and it worked. 

During the movie it’s revealed that Muffy supposedly has a crazy sister that had been locked away. As an actress, how much fun was it getting to pretend playing a crazy twin sister in the form of Buffy? 

That was fun. Cause then you could just explore. She dressed a certain way as Buffy and I just went for it. I had done all my homework, I put all those down on paper cause that’s how I work. I created these two different women (Muffy and Buffy). And also the other aspect of it is you have to make it so believable that your friends are going to believe it. And that would be the hardest thing to do and try to pull off on your family friends. So they aren’t really sure what’s going on.

April Fool’s Day features a very surprising climax that you can say for sure audiences didn’t see coming when it was first released. Can you talk about filming it and the big reveal? 

It was just a couple of days to film that. I look back on that scene where I jump up on that table and that’s a normal height table. (laughs) I think the adrenaline was just running through me. (laughs) I just leapt up there and went for it completely and utterly. I took it to heart- what Fred said about making these two characters completely different. So I committed fully to that. Then when the door opens up, you transition (from Buffy going after Kit and Rob) to the tongue and cheek aspect of what Muffy was actually trying to do.

Basically she wanted to just try this out on her friends and see if it would work without telling them. And see if she could pull off having a bed and breakfast who done it weekend. So with that reveal, I reeled it back in (to Muffy)

Now in the theatrical cut, Muffy is the receiver of the final prank. Can you talk about filming that scene?

We actually shot that. We already wrapped the film, left Canada, and we had come home to Los Angeles. So they added that. I think they did an audience screening and the audience didn’t like the ending. So they added that as a bonus part. And that was fun I mean all I had to was to do was I spun around in the hallway before I went in. To give myself a dizzy spell to appear a little tipsy and drunk. And then Leah (Pinsent) comes in as Nan. It was fun. Leah is just this wonderful and genuinely gifted actress. Her father and mother were actors, so she comes from a wonderful lineage of actors. We have always had fun acting together and actually you know, Leah and me were roommates after the film for a period of time.

There are stories that the original ending was cut by the studio. It involved everyone leaving the island and then going back again. What if anything do you remember of filming this sequence?

There’s a scene where Skip (Griffin O’Neal) my brother is slashing my throat and to be honest, I don’t even remember shooting that scene.  I know there is another scene that I shot where I’m lying on the floor and there was blood pooled around me because I was pretending to be dead. I think that’s not even in the film. But I laid there for 40 minutes while they were setting this up and trying to shoot the shot and it was it’s not even in the film. So those are like the two things I do and don’t remember.

What was your first experience watching it with an audience? 

I think the only time I do remember it (back then) was maybe a screening for it at Paramount.  I remember it had good word of mouth and good critiques. But then you carry on and go for your next film. Onward and upward, that was me.

The movie was successful at the box office when it was released, but its grown even more in the years since. Do you feel the combination of that particular cast and the unexpected climax are the reasons the movie has continued to gain in popularity over the years?

I think yes. The ending is so unexpected. When I go to conventions, so many people tell me it was unexpected. And I love hearing that.  Because that’s the joke. It’s called April fool’s day. So they get it. I think when it first came out it wasn’t marketed properly. It wasn’t marketed as a tongue in cheek film.

And I don’t think they actually knew how to market it because it’s not a horror film, and it’s not a comedy. But it has elements of horror and comedy. But how do you express that without giving it away? I think they just went with the easiest option and it really wasn’t the right niche for it. We sort of got lost. But the word of mouth has made us keep going. It’s the fans.

In a lot of ways it’s a forbearer to horror & thrillers like Scream and the Faculty where it’s very self-aware…

Again Fred Walton.  Of course he had directed When A Stranger Calls, He has a wonderful touch. I was amazed he never went on to do so much more because he is gifted in a certain kind of way. And that way is the most interesting thing for me as actress to work with and watch

Had there ever been any discussion with you or any of the other cast on the potential of doing a sequel at some point since the movie was a success at the box office? If so would you have wanted to come back?

I never heard anything like that. I think it some people would want to come back now. I would. I think it would be fun now at my age to do something new with that story. But nothing was discussed at the time. Not in the 80s or 90’s. They did remake it at one point. It’s the same story in current day and it was the same producer, Frank Mancusso Jr. But I’ve never seen it.

With April fool’s day coming up have you ever pulled off any April fool’s jokes on friends or family?

No, (laughter) no, no. I’m not a prankster. I know a lot of pranksters but I am not one myself. I mean I’m clever in different ways, but not that way.

You of course had several memorable movies around the mid to late 80s with Valley Girl, Real Genius, and Waxwork.  And like April Fool’s Day, all of which have stood the test of time and gotten more beloved with each generation discovering them. What do you think about each of those movies continues to draw audiences to them as well. 

Valley Girl is a love story and it stayed true to that. You know movies are about death, love, or power and that one was absolutely about love. Waxwork is fun. For those who love gore there is a nice amount, it had a unique script. Real genius, I hear from people all the time that’s one of their favorite in terms of comedy. You know, when I did that movie they gave me two variations one was of the line I said that’s used in the movie. And then they also gave me this full paragraph of dialogue. It was a long paragraph and that was because producer Brian Grazer didn’t think I was going to be able to pull off the (other) line. So we shot both and I pulled off the line.

It was a pleasure getting to discuss April Fool’s Day with Deborah this past weekend and we are happy to announce that she will be joining us this year at Mad Monster Arizona 2022 on the weekend of July 8th to 10th. So be sure to come out and meet her! Tickets are available HERE. In the meantime revisit April Fool’s Day on your favorite streaming service. Its also available on DVD and Bluray.

Be sure to additionally check out Whitney H’s retrospective on the film by clicking HERE!

Happy April fool’s day.